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In this fashion faceoff, these ladies love Lanvin! Emma Stone wear her Lanvin dress with loose locks and black pumps in West Hollywood and Jennifer Lopez adds drama to look with platforms and a swept-back hair style in Hollywood. Both Stone and Lopez look stunning and in their own style are doing this dress justice. The snake wrapped around the dress and then neck is an elegant touch and Lopez does a better job of showing off the design with her swept-back look. What do you think? Who wore it best?

First and foremost, can I just say how much I love this gold and houndstooth Hervé Léger by Max Azria dress? It’s to die for. The dress is bold, flirty and very fashion forward, so it’s not a surprise it made more then one appearance in Hollywood. Who wore the dress best? Once Upon A Time star Ginnifer Goodwin or up-and-coming country star Maggie Rose? Rose pulls it off well and looks adorable, but Goodwin’s choice is shoes is much better and her edgy pixie cut matches the dress’ boldness.

The clocking is ticking and you still don’t know what to wear on February 14. Do not stress mon amie! This weekend is plenty of time to find a cute ensemble to wear to dinner, the park, the movies, whatever your Valentine’s day may have in store. Choose comfort over style and nothing looks better on you than a smile and your loved ones arms wrapped around your body. Happy Valentine’s day!

Although I know Adobe’s InDesign, I was curious to see how Polyvore’s Set application worked. I must say I’m impressed how easy it is to create these things! This is my first one, it was a lot of fun, but I might keep it the basics and use InDesign.

Since moving to LA (about three weeks ago) my apartment building has yet to het cable or wifi in any of the units, which brings me to this local Starbucks I am blogging from.

Yes, I have been surviving without cable and wifi, how? DVD’s of course! But what to do when I’ve seen all my DVD’s more than a dozen times? I decided I’d give watching them with the director’s commentary on a try.

Watching film with commentary was something I hadn’t ever done before, but after now I wish I had made it a habit sooner. Watching a favorite film while the brains behind it tells you about it brings movie watching to a whole new level.

The first movie I watched was Frida, director Julie Taymor. This movie has significance for me on many levels. Salma Hayek is an amazing actress, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera are two of my favorite artists and I’m Mexican-American.

Hearing Taymor’s talk about how much Frida means to her made me connect to her and her film even more. Hearing how she got certain shots and explain how the chose the music was picked for the film was as entertaining as the movie itself.

For example, I had not clue Alfred Molina (actor who plays Diego Rivera) was a British actor and he gained 20 pounds and they had to pull his hairline back for filming. Or that parts of the movie within one scene there are in two different location, but they are made to look like one.

Girl, Interrupted was the second movie I was with James Mangold’s comments. Again, it made me fall in love all over again with the story, actors and the cinematography. Mangold is very much an artist and him explaining that no matter how big your budget is for a movie and how much of an experienced directore you are, filming in a car is one of the trickest things todo and will dwindle down any crew to there men.

Ti’m Burton’s Sleepy Hollow was the third movie I watched with the director’s input and as much as I enjoy and respect Tim Burton’s art and films, he is perfect example that not all directors can go on and two hours what it took to make their film and how the did it. He would input comments here and there, but most of the time didn’t say much. He would say things like, “I really like this shot, but I don’t know why.” It goes to show some artist cannot explain how or why they create something, but can certainly deliver.

Both of these products have the same idea – at the press of a button, the mascara wand starts to vibrate.

The effect of a vibrating mascara wand is to do the job a hand would when women put on mascara – when women put on mascara, they move their hand to wiggle the wand side-to-side. This motion is supposed to separate the lashes and make them look fuller.

The vibration is not an uncomfortable sensation, even when put on the eyelash line. Lancome’s mascara is said to give 7,000 oscillations per minute and Maybelline’s is 7,000 per application.

Both products are battery operated – inside there is a circular battery, like the ones used for watches.

Lancome found that the motorized applicator acted as a supercharger for the conditioning agents on the lashes, according to Lancome website.

After one week, ophthalmologists who examined lashes under a microscope noted a difference in the density of the lashes while 81 percent of women who used it noticed longer lashes after one month, according to a study by Lancome.

Lancome ran trials both with and without the vibration, and found the most positive results with vibration.

For three days I put Lancome’s mascara on the lashes of my right eye and Maybelline on the lashes of my left to see how each formula would carry on during an 11-hour day.

Both mascara brushes were similar and did not look or feel different from each other. Performance wise, Lancome’s Oscillation had a stronger vibration and made my lashes look fuller, while Maybelline’s Pulse Perfection left my lashes looking like I used normal, non-vibrating mascara.

The packaging of Lancome’s Oscillation is more appealing than Maybelline’s Pulse Perfection. Lancome’s is smooth, black and sleek with only a silver rose as its logo on the cap. Maybelline’s has the name of the mascara and gold lines on the body of the tube, making it look like drug store mascara.

Having the vibration on my lashes felt different at first, but was not unbearably annoying. I could see the difference instantly. The lashes with the Lancome formula looked fuller, thicker, longer and lighter in weight compared to the Maybelline formula. The Pulse Perfection made my lashes feel heavy, and after about five hours, my lashes started to flake.

The one factor that may make or break a purchasing decision for these high-tech mascaras are the price tags. Lancome’s Oscillation Vibrating Mascara is $34 and Maybelline’s Pulse Perfection Vibrating Mascara is about $15.

Lancome’s product seems better, but is double the price of the Maybelline one.

I am a fan of both makeup lines, but when it comes down to which has a better vibrating tube, Lancome wins.

Electronic cigarettes are an example of when technology has surpassed the rules and regulations, said Sgt. John Laws of University Police Department.

With electronic cigarettes becoming more familiar to people, Martin Lau, a graduate student in graphic design, said he was thinking about buying one.

“A pack of cigarettes is about $6 to $7,” he said. With those e-cigs, a carton is $20.”

Lau said the state may take action on the issue.

“If e-cigs prove to become a problem, (the state) will deal with it,” he said.

According to Section A of California Government Code Section 19994.35, “No tobacco product advertising shall be allowed in any state-owned and state-occupied building excepting advertising contained in a program, newspaper, magazine, or other written material lawfully sold, brought, or distributed within a state building.”

This means any advertisements for products containing tobacco or that are prepared with the leaves of plants of the nicotiana family are illegal within state buildings, according to section C of the same government code.

“I think in the long run you will not be able to smoke e-cigs indoors, because at one time people were able to smoke regular cigarettes indoors,” said senior business major Jansher Ashraf. “I think it’s just because e-cigs have not caught up with the law.”

In the state of California, each college and university is responsible for making its own rules and regulations, including the distance a cigarette can be smoked from a campus building, according to California Education Code, Section 89031.

Section 89031 states, “The trustees may establish rules and regulations for the government and maintenance of the buildings and grounds of the California State University. Every person who violates or attempts to violate the rules and regulations is guilty of a misdemeanor.”

At SJSU, Laws said the rule is a lit cigarette must be a minimum of 25 feet away from all campus buildings.

“We have not encountered any issues with students smoking too close to a building,” he said.

The penalty for smoking closer than 25 feet from a campus building is a citation of $ 1,000, and it is charged as a misdemeanor, Laws said.

“This is usually not our first response when dealing with this rare situation,” he said. “Usually we just give a warning.”

Lau said he is aware how it may bother some people to smoke too close to a building.

“I wouldn’t go next to a door and do it,” he said. “It’s rude.”

If e-cigs become popular and people use them often and become a problem, something will be done, Ashraf said.

“At some point, you will find somebody who has a problem with them and sure enough, a group of legislators will decide (a law) on e-cigs,” he said.

When Jessica Khoshnood, Gabrielle Targosz and Tiffany Louie came to SJSU as freshmen on gymnastics scholarships, they all hated having to come here and were not sure if they had made the right decision.

“Freshman year was the worst time of my life,” Khoshnood said. “Adjusting was so hard – adjusting to the gym, the coach, everything. But after Christmas things changed and we started to compete and I fell in love with it all over again.”

Targosz, originally from Phoenix, said she had never been to San Jose before joining the team.

“I didn’t know anything about the city, the state, the coach or the team,” she said. “At first I hated it, but later it ended up being the perfect fit and I adapted well.”

Louie said her freshman year was also tough.

“I’m not a quitter, and I knew after freshman year, things were going to get better,” she said.

“Since my parent’s house was not too far from school, I still had the comfort of going home when I needed to,” Louie said.

The trio agreed that a love for gymnastics has always been in all of their lives since they could walk.

“When people ask me how long I have been doing gymnastics, I just say ‘forever,'” Khoshnood said. “In eighth grade, I decided I wanted to try and get a gymnastics scholarship, and since then I worked to achieve that.”

Khoshnood said she wanted to stand for something in life during high school. With this plan in mind, she went forward and succeeded in getting a scholarship.

In her freshman year of high school, Targosz decided she needed a break after participating in gymnastics for five years.

“I wanted to have a real life, and not be in the gym or practice all the time,” she said.

As her senior year in high school approached, Targosz said she started to train again because she wanted to get into a good school and her gymnastics background would help.

Louie said she knew at a young age that gymnastics was her calling.

“I was six years old and when you’re little, of course, you say you want to go to the Olympics, but you learn that it’s not as easy as you thought,” she said.

It was in seventh grade that Louie said she decided she wanted to be a college gymnast, and was later recruited by SJSU.

Over the past four years, the trio has developed a bond that goes beyond the balance beam and the bars.

“We have such a special bond, and the three of us deserve all that has come to us,” Khoshnood said. “To make it through to your senior year is a great feeling.”

When Khoshnood, Targosz and Louie started together as freshmen at SJSU, there were seven girls in their class on the gymnastics team. Today, only three remain, Targosz said.

“I’m glad it was us three because we have developed such a good connection,” she said. “I learned so much, and everything I have learned in gymnastics I can bring into other parts of my life.”

“I’ve quit everything I have done and gymnastics is the one thing I have made it through,” Targosz said. “I’m just so proud of the three of us.”

Louie said she can hardly imagine never performing at the Event Center again. The gymnastics team performed for the last time at home this season on March 5.

“I remember as a freshman, I didn’t understand how big of a deal it was for the seniors at their last home meet,” Louie said. “But now, thinking about it, after this, we are never going to compete in that gym ever again.”

Women’s gymnastics head coach Wayne Wright said it’s not just about the competition in the sport, but how the student-athlete changes and develops as a person.

“It’s always hard when you recruit an athlete to see them leave because you see them grow and progress during the time they are here with you,” Wright said. “But you feel good because they have had a successful career.”

Khoshnood admits she is apprehensive about the future because she doesn’t know what comes after college gymnastics.

“All I know is gymnastics, and the fact that I have to leave it behind is probably the scariest thing I have to do,” she said.

“Gymnastics is what we live and breathe for,” Louie said. “There is so much time and dedication in gymnastics. It takes up your life, and now you have all this free time and you just don’t know what to do with it.”

California State University, along with Univision Communications and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, launched the campaign “Es El Momento” (the Moment is Now), according to a CSU news release on Feb. 23.

The three-year effort will focus on creating a college going culture among U.S. Latinos and setting expectations for an increased Latino high school graduation rate and Latino participation in college, Erik Fallis, CSU media relations specialist, stated in an e-mail.

Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in the U.S., Fallis stated. It is essential that more Latinos graduate from college so they are ready to take leadership positions in all sectors of the economy, Fallis stated.

Jorge Ramos, Mexican anchor for Noticiero Univision, Univision’s news broadcast, will be the spokesperson for the campaign, according to the CSU news release.

“Having other Latinos help run the program and be spokespeople, I think, will help the campaign because they will know what we are going through,” said Gabe Quezada, a senior justice studies major and co-treasurer of Chicano Commencement.

Chicano Commencement is an organization on campus where students are recognized at a graduation ceremony that honors their accomplishments, all while incorporating the rich tradition of the Latino culture, according to the SJSU student involvement Web page.

Messages from the “Es El Momento” campaign will be delivered through a network of national, regional and local media featuring news and special programming, according to the CSU news release.

The campaign is expected to deliver deeper parental involvement in students’ academic achievement, according to the CSU news release.

“Latinos are the minority, but a majority at the same time, and there is an achievement gap between Latinos and other ethnicities,” said Christina Ramos, a master’s student in public administration and co-chair of Chicano Commencement.

“A great education is not an honor or privilege-it’s a fundamental civil right,” stated Melinda Gates, co-founder of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, in a Univision news release. “This partnership with Univision will not only inspire Hispanic students and their parents and community to aspire to a college education, a college education will give Latinos access to the information and tools they need to make their dream a reality,” stated Gates.

“We can’t think of a better partner to work with on “Es El Momento” than Univision, which shares this belief in the power of education,” stated Gates in a Univision news release.

A degree for Latinos will do more than benefit just the student, said senior finance major Marleh Villegas, co-fundraising chair for Chicano Commencement.

“Latinos seeking higher education not only helps them but their families and the whole Latino community,” Villegas said. “This campaign will give Latinos the opportunity to show people what we can do and are capable of.”

Santa Clara County’s Vector Control District (VCD) applied a spray over the country to prevent the surfacing of the Aedes squamiger mosquito on Feb. 17, according to a VCD news release.

Since the spray has been completed, the mosquito no longer possess a threat to SJSU or Santa Clara County, said Jeffrey Honda, a biological science professor and entomologist at SJSU.

The Aedes squamiger, also known as the California salt marsh mosquito, is not only an aggressive biter, but is one of the few types of mosquito that bites people during the day versus in the evening, Honda said.

When the mosquitoes hatch, mostly in March and April, they have the ability to travel up to 20 miles from their homes and breeding grounds and vigorously bite people and other animals, Honda said.

A helicopter treatment that covered about 400 acres, which used environmentally safe chemicals and affected no residences or business, was used, according to the news release.

This specific type of mosquito has not been linked to West Nile virus, although their bite might cause discomfort, Honda said.

“This specific mosquito’s mechanism is ineffective and unsuccessful to transfer West Nile virus, but it’s one of the most aggressive biters of people,” he said.

Since the salt water marsh is not linked to West Nile virus, the reason for the spray is more of a pest control and providing comfort for people in Santa Clara County, according to the news release.

“This spray is more of a comfort factor rather than a disease factor,” said Victor Romano, VCD operations supervisor.

The spray was a success, and Santa Clara County should be in the clear, Romano said.

“We don’t have to worry too much, because (the county) is spraying, but if they were not spraying then we would have a problem”, Honda said. “Usually people get worried when the country does not do these sprays on an area.”

The salt marsh mosquito lays its eggs in moist soil, which then hatch in spring and summer time. The eggs can survive for years through weather conditions, such as high tides and seasonal rains, according to the news release.

Michael Stafferson, a junior communications major, said what bothers him about the salt water marsh mosquito is that, unlike most mosquitoes, it is not nocturnal.

“It’s bad enough during the summer nights (that) mosquitoes are a big pain, but now there are these ones that bite in the day,” he said.

A salt water marsh, where the mosquito gets part of its name, is a place where fresh water runs into the bays, Honda said.

“A mixture of fresh and salt water is a perfect environment for them,” he said.

Honda said that, though people of Santa Clara County prefer this spray, he has concerns in regard to what this treatment could potentially do for the ecosystem, he said.

Even though the spray is intended to target this specific mosquito, it will kill other mosquitoes and flies. With that, other animals might have fewer insects to eat, Honda said.

“Wouldn’t the spray mess the way other animals eat?” Stafferson said. “Then people wonder why some species go extinct.”